Award

Mission Crew Trainer Sustainment

  • Ministry of Defence

F15: Voluntary ex ante transparency notice

Notice identifier: 2024/S 000-038392

Procurement identifier (OCID): ocds-h6vhtk-04c0a7

Published 28 November 2024, 9:45am



Section one: Contracting authority/entity

one.1) Name and addresses

Ministry of Defence

Bristol

Email

DES-AirISTAR-E7-CM@mod.gov.uk

Country

United Kingdom

Region code

UK - United Kingdom

Internet address(es)

Main address

https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-defence

one.4) Type of the contracting authority

Ministry or any other national or federal authority

one.5) Main activity

Defence


Section two: Object

two.1) Scope of the procurement

two.1.1) Title

Mission Crew Trainer Sustainment

two.1.2) Main CPV code

  • 80660000 - Training and simulation in military electronic systems

two.1.3) Type of contract

Services

two.1.4) Short description

The E7 Acquisition Project Team, part of the UK Ministry of Defence, intends to award a 3-year contract to Plexsys Interface Products UK Ltd for the maintenance of the current Mission Crew Trainer software and hardware located in RAF Lossiemouth. This contract placement is intended to be awarded with an additional 3 option years.

two.1.6) Information about lots

This contract is divided into lots: No

two.1.7) Total value of the procurement (excluding VAT)

Value excluding VAT: £10,966,000

two.2) Description

two.2.3) Place of performance

NUTS codes
  • UK - United Kingdom

two.2.4) Description of the procurement

The E7 Acquisition Project Team, part of the UK Ministry of Defence, intends to award a 3-year contract to Plexsys Interface Products UK Ltd for the maintenance of the current Mission Crew Trainer software and hardware located in RAF Lossiemouth. This contract placement is intended to be awarded with an additional 3 option years.

It is considered that this contract can be placed using the Negotiated Procedure without Prior Publication of a Contract Notice pursuant to Regulation 16(1)(a)(ii) of the UK Defence and Security Public Contracts Regulations 2011 for technical reasons. This is because Plexsys Interface Products UK Ltd are the only company to have access to the Mission Crew Trainer source code/data and other necessary technical information to enable it to meet the RAF’s synthetic training needs and provide the maintenance required throughout the contracting period.

To be successful in maintaining the functionality of the equipment, the supplier must have suitable experience and detailed knowledge of the system including both hardware and software which is only available within Plexsys. It is critical that the Mission Crew Trainer device remains fully operational and contracting with another contractor would pose a high risk to its critical functionality, thereby jeopardising the training of rear crew. For these reasons, Plexsys Interface Products UK Ltd is the only supplier able to meet the requirement

two.2.5) Award criteria

Price

two.2.11) Information about options

Options: Yes

Description of options

3 x 1 year options following initial 3 year period.

two.2.13) Information about European Union Funds

The procurement is related to a project and/or programme financed by European Union funds: No


Section four. Procedure

four.1) Description

four.1.1) Type of procedure

Negotiated procedure without publication of a contract notice

  • The products involved are manufactured purely for the purpose of research, experiment, study or development
  • The works, supplies or services can be provided only by a particular economic operator for the following reason:
    • absence of competition for technical reasons

Explanation:

The E7 Acquisition Project Team, part of the UK Ministry of Defence, intends to award a 3-year contract to Plexsys Interface Products UK Ltd for the maintenance of the current Mission Crew Trainer software and hardware located in RAF Lossiemouth. This contract placement is intended to be awarded with an additional 3 option years.

It is considered that this contract can be placed using the Negotiated Procedure without Prior Publication of a Contract Notice pursuant to Regulation 16(1)(a)(ii) of the UK Defence and Security Public Contracts Regulations 2011 for technical reasons. This is because Plexsys Interface Products UK Ltd are the only company to have access to the Mission Crew Trainer source code/data and other necessary technical information to enable it to meet the RAF’s synthetic training needs and provide the maintenance required throughout the contracting period.

To be successful in maintaining the functionality of the equipment, the supplier must have suitable experience and detailed knowledge of the system including both hardware and software which is only available within Plexsys. It is critical that the Mission Crew Trainer device remains fully operational and contracting with another contractor would pose a high risk to its critical functionality, thereby jeopardising the training of rear crew. For these reasons, Plexsys Interface Products UK Ltd is the only supplier able to meet the requirement

four.1.8) Information about the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)

The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement: No


Section five. Award of contract/concession

A contract/lot is awarded: Yes

five.2) Award of contract/concession

five.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract

28 November 2024

five.2.2) Information about tenders

The contract has been awarded to a group of economic operators: No

five.2.3) Name and address of the contractor/concessionaire

PLEXSYS Interface Products UK LTD

Lincoln

Country

United Kingdom

NUTS code
  • UK - United Kingdom
The contractor/concessionaire is an SME

Yes

five.2.4) Information on value of contract/lot/concession (excluding VAT)

Total value of the contract/lot/concession: £10,966,000

five.2.5) Information about subcontracting

The contract/lot/concession is likely to be subcontracted


Section six. Complementary information

six.4) Procedures for review

six.4.1) Review body

Ministry of Defence

Bristol

Country

United Kingdom